Prior art molded pole sanders such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,516,360 and 4,516,361, used for sanding down drywall and other surfaces have been in existence for many years. These sanders generally comprise a molded body member having a flat backing surface for retaining sandpaper and a handle mounting surface on the opposite side thereof that is hand held or mounted with a universal joint for engaging a threaded end of a pole. The prior art hand and pole sanders also incorporate a pair of wire clips for removably securing the ends of the sandpaper to the body member for purposes of holding the sandpaper against the backing surface.
Generally, these sanders have a number of limitations which restrict their effectiveness and versatility. Notably, prior art sanders typically do not incorporate a backing surface pad or pad member and, to the extent they do, such pads are undesirably thin and wear quickly, and since pads in prior art sanders are typically pasted on, the pads tend to loosen easily as the glue dries over time; thus they rapidly deteriorate in response to the intense character of the tasks the sanders perform. Also, to the extent padding is present in the context of prior art sanders, the pad does not fully surround the body member (i.e., at the front, rear, and sides). Since the pad member does not fully extend around the sides of the longitudinal edges of the sander, the sandpaper, which tends to be available in sizes that are wider than the backing surface and pad member, undesirably tends to roll up around the sides of the sander. Moreover, since the pad does not fully extend around the sides of the sander, the sander will easily tear the sandpaper around the hard sharp edge.
Other problems presented by prior art sanders include the decreased friction produced between the sandpaper and either the backing surface or pad member resulting from the relative “hardness” of the materials which typically comprise the backing surface or pad members. Consequentially, the sandpaper in prior art sanders is prone to tearing when the device is in use, requiring a user to change sandpaper more often than desired. Furthermore, the pad members in prior art sanders tend to wear down unevenly as well since the pads are not designed to “give” in responses to the pressure applied by a user on a given area of the pad. Moreover, pad members are typically secured to the body member with a pressure sensitive adhesive. Thus, the process for securing the pad member to the body member by the use of an adhesive is labor intensive. Using a conventional adhesive also permits the pad member to be peeled away from the body member causing an unsightly separation of the pad member and body member, possibly making the sander appear somewhat inferior to the typical user.